Ohio's 62nd governor dies at 92 at his home in Cincinnati

[madinmaryland]

CINCINNATI -- Former Ohio Gov. and U.S. Rep. John J. Gilligan, a liberal Democrat who won creation of the state income tax, has died. He was 92.

His death Monday was confirmed by his caregiver Frank Kennedy.

Gilligan's daughter Kathleen Sebelius, a former Kansas governor, in 2009 became Health and Human Services secretary under President Barack Obama.

Gilligan, a teacher, became the state's 62nd governor in 1970, a year in which Republicans suffered from a loan scandal in the state treasurer's office.

He inherited a school funding problem in which 24 districts had closed for lack of operating money and more were expected to follow suit.

Gilligan persuaded legislators to enact the state's first corporate and personal income tax in 1971 to raise money for dealing with those and other government priorities.

Read more: http://www.wcpo.com/web/wcpo/news/local-news/ohios-62nd-governor-dies-at-92-at-his-home-in-cincinnati

I remember him when I lived here back in the the 1970's.

RIP.

[Cooley Hurd]

1. A good life - Cross gently, Governor.

[No Vested Interest]

2. "He never stopped serving his country," Pres. Obama on John Gilligan

John Gilligan was born in 1921 into a family well-known among Cincinnatians as funeral directors, or undertakers as we formerly called the profession. He graduated from the Univ. of Notre Dame, then served in the Navy in WWII, where he was awarded the Bronze Star. After the was he obtained a master's degree from the Univ. of Cincinnati and taught at Xavier University.

In 1953 he won the first of seven terms on Cincinnati City Council; then was elected for one term to the US Congress. He returned to Cincinnati city council after being defeated for re-election to Congress.
John Gilligan was elected Ohio's 62nd Governor in 1970, when Ohio's schools were in dire straits. He instituted the state income tax, and was defeated by James Rhodes in 1974. Gilligan then served in the Carter Administration.

He returned to the Univ. of Notre Dame in government and public policy studies. Returning to Cincinnati, he ran for the School Board and served two terms, holding office until he was 86. He also taught courses as a volunteer at UC's Institute for Retirement in Living.

We could use more dedicated public servants in the style of John Gilligan.